Pad-type cushion structure for a seat



March 23, 1965 c. s. REED 3,

PAD-TYPE CUSHION STRUCTUREYFOR A SEAT Filed April 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORY. I CLAIR s. REED ATTORNEYS March 23, 1965 v c. s. REED PAD-TYPE cusx-uou STRUCTURE FOR A srm 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 24, 1965 INVENTOR- CLAIR S.REED

ATTORNE S United States Patent 3,174,164 PAD-TYPE CUSIHON STRUCTURE FUR A SEAT Clair S. Reed, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Van Dresser Specialty Corporation, Warren, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 275,270 16 Claims. (Cl. 354) This invention relates generally to a pad-type cushion structure for a seat, and refers more particularly to a seat pad structure wherein sponge rubber is employed.

In the past, sponge rubber has been molded to form one-piece pads, consequently such pads have been expensive. When large quantities of such pads are made during production, the expense is excessive.

Therefore, one of the essential objects of the present invention is to save expense by using approximately one-half of the sponge rubber in the formation of at least one of the pads of the pad structure.

Another object is to provide a pad structure wherein two pads, each different than the other in construction, are arranged one above the other.

Another object is to provide a pad structure wherein the lower of said two pads preferably comprises a series of laterally spaced transversely extending elongated slabs of sponge rubber, and the upper of said two pads preferably comprises a single continuous slab of sponge rubber.

Another object is to provide a pad structure wherein a flexible composite insulator is employed between and is secured in surface to surface relation with the upper and lower pads.

Another object is to provide a pad structure wherein the composite insulator will distribute to the laterally spaced slabs of the lower pad any load placed upon the upper pad, and will cause such laterally spaced slabs to spread or be deflected laterally into the spaces between said slabs.

Another object is to provide a pad structure that may be mounted upon and secured to any suitable underlying support, such as a supporting spring structure of a seat, or the upper surface of a seat of any suitable material.

Another object is to provide a pad structure that is simple in construction, more economical to manufacture, and efficient in operation.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pad structure embodying my invention disposed between a supporting spring structure and an exterior trim material of a seat, and showing parts broken away and in section.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the pad structure embodying my invention.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing an enlargement thereof.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the pad structure embodying my invention and showing parts broken awa Fl GURE 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-5 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing a slight modification with parts broken away and in section.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of another modification and showing parts broken away and in section.

Referring now to the drawings, A is a pad structure ice embodying my invention disposed between a supporting spring structure B and an exterior trim material C of a seat.

As shown, the pad structure A preferably comprises two substantially rectangular substantially horizontal pads 10 and 11 of sponge rubber arranged one above the other and having substantially fiat adjacent surfaces 12 and 13, and a substantially rectangular substantially horizontal flexible composite insulator 14 disposed between and in surface to surface relation with the adjacent flat surfaces 12 and 13 of the pads 10 and 11.

Preferably the lower pad It) comprises a series of laterally spaced transversely extending separate elongated slabs 15 of sponge rubber, while the upper pad 11 preferably comprises a single continuous slap 16 of sponge rubber. However, if desired, such upper pad 11 could be formed from cotton padding material or the like.

The slabs 15 of the lower pad 19 are preferably substantially square shape in cross section throughout their length, while the slab 15 of the upper pad 11 preferably has a contoured upper surface 17 that inclines downwardly from the front to the rear longitudinal edges thereof. However, the slabs 15 of the lower pad 10 may have contoured upper surfaces that incline downwardly from the front to the rear ends thereof, and the slab 16 of the upper pad 11 may be of uniform thickness from the front to the rear longitudinal edges thereof, as shown in FIGURE 7.

Preferably the flexible composite insulator 14 comprises a substantially rectangular sheet 1? of flexible material such as fabric, transversely extending rods 26 upon one surface of the sheet at opposite ends thereof and embedded in the separate slabs 15 at opposite ends of the lowermost pad 10, and transversely spaced longitudinally extending reinforcing wires 22 threaded or woven through the sheet 19 and terminally connected to the transversely extending rods 20.

The sheet 19 of fabric may be burlap or any other suitable material and is secured by a suitable adhesive 23 in surface to surface relation with the adjacent surfaces of the pads 1t and 11. The transversely extending.

rods 20 are preferably formed from steel, and are located between and are substantially flush with opposite ends of said pads 16 and 11. However, if desired, the transversely extending rods 20 may be eliminated entirely from the composite insulator 14.

The reinforcing wires 22 may be helical, spiral, sinuous, or undulated or straight, as desired, and of any gauge spring steel or other suitable material consistent with resiliency and the strength required. Such reinforcing Wires 22 may be spaced longitudinally apart as desired and may be light gauge at opposite ends and heavy gauge at the center of the insulator 14, or vice versa depending upon the requirements.

Preferably the pad structure A is mounted upon the upper substantially rectangular frame 24 of the underlying supporting spring structure B. As shown, the pad structure A is preferably provided on the underside thereof with a base sheet 25 of flexible material, such as canvas or the like. Such base sheet 25 is substantially equal in area to the area of the lower pad 10, and is secured by a suitable adhesive 26 in surface to surface relation with the undersides of the laterally spaced elongated slabs 15.

A substantially rectangular border frame 27 corresponding in area to the upper frame 24 of the supporting spring structure B is upon one surface of the base sheet 25 at the edges thereof and is embedded in the separate slabs 15 of the lowermost pad 10. Preferably fasteners 28, such as hog rings, extend through the base sheet 25 and embrace the border frame 27 and the upper frame 24 of the underlying supporting spring structure B to secure the pad structure A to the supporting spring structure B.

In FIGURE 8 I have shown a slight modification wherein the base sheet 25 has been eliminated entirely, and the undersides of the laterally spaced elongated slabs 15 of the lower pad 1% are secured by a suitable adhesive 29 in surface to surface relation with the upper surface of an underlying seat 30 of any suitable material.

Thus, from the foregoing, it will be apparent that the composite insulator 14 will distribute to the laterally spaced slabs 15 of the lower pad litany load placed upon the upper pad 11, and will cause such laterally spaced slabs 15 to spread or be deflected laterally into the spaces 31 between such slabs.-

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A composite pad-type cushion structure for'a seat, comprising three separate superposed substantially horizontal substantially rectangular layers having substantially flat adjacent surfaces, each of said three layers being substantially equal in area to each of the other of said layers, the lowermost of said layers being a series of laterally spaced substantially parallel elongated relatively thick separate slabs of compressible material, each of the slabs of the lowermost layer being substantially square shape in cross section throughout its length, the uppermost of said layers beinga single continuous relatively thick slab of compressible material, the intermediate of said layers being a flexible composite insulator disposed in surface-'to-surface relation with the adjacent surfaces of the lowermost and uppermost layers and including a substantially horizontal substantially rectangular sheet of flexible material and a series of laterally spaced substantially parallel reinforcing wires threaded through said sheet, oppoiste substantially flat surfaces of said intermediate layer being secured to the adjacent substantially flat surfaces respectively of said lowermost and uppermost layers, the intermediate layer being adapted to distribute to certain of the laterally spaced slabs of the lowermost layer any load placed upon the uppermost layer whereby said certain laterally spaced slabs Will be spread laterally into the, spaces between said slabs.

2. The composite pad-type cushion structure defined in claim 1, wherein each of the separate slabs of the lowermost layer is formed of sponge rubber, the single slab of the uppermost layer is formed of sponge rubber,

and the sheet of the intermediate layer is formed of fabric.

3. The composite pad-type cushion structure defined in claim 1, wherein each of' the separate slabs of the lowermost layer is formed of sponge rubber, the single slab of the uppermost layer is formed from cotton padding, and the sheet of the intermediate layer is formed from burlap;

4. The composite pad-type cushion structure defined in claim 1-, wherein the single slab of the uppermost layer has a contoured upper surface inclining downwardly from the front to the rear longitudinal edges thereof.

5. The composite pad-type cushion structure defined in claim 1, wherein the separate slabs of the lowermost layer have contoured upper surfaces inclining downwardly from the front to the rear ends thereof.

6. The composite pad-type cushion structure defined in claim 1, wherein the single slab of the uppermost layer is of substantially uniform thickness from the front to the rear longitudinal edges thereof.

7. The composite pad-type cushion structure defined in claim 1, wherein transversely extending rods are upon one surface of the sheet of said intermediate layer and are embedded in the separate slabs at opposite ends of the lowermost layer.

8. The composite pad-type cushion structure defined in claim 1, wherein opposite substantially flat surfaces of said intermediate layer are secured by adhesive in surface-to-surface relation to the adjacent substantially fiat surfaces respectively of said lowermost and upper-- most layers.

9. The composite pad-type. cushion structure defined in claim 1, wherein a base sheet of flexible material is secured by an adhesive in surface-to-surface relation to- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,283,116 5/42 Young 5--354 3,134,989 6/64 Reed 5-354 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COMPOSITE PAD-TYPE CUSHION STRUCTURE FOR A SEAT, COMPRISING THREE SEPARATE SUPERPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR LAYERS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT ADJACENT SURFACES, EACH OF SAID THREE LAYERS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN AREA TO EACH OF THE OTHER OF SAID LAYERS, THE LOWERMOST OF SAID LAYERS BEING A SERIES OF LATERALLY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ELONGATED RELATIVELY THICK SEPARATE SLABS OF COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL, EACH OF THE SLABS OF THE LOWERMOST LAYER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SQUARE SHAPE IN CROSS SECTION THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH, THE UPPERMOST OF SAID LAYERS BEING A SINGLE CONTINUOUS RELATIVELY THICK SLAB OF COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL, THE INTERMEDIATE OF SAID LAYERS BEING A FLEXIBLE COMPOSITE INSULATOR DISPOSED IN SURFACE-TO-SURFACE RELATION WITH THE ADJACENT SURFACES OF THE LOWERMOST AND UPPERMOST LAYERS AND INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR SHEET OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL AND A SERIES OF 